Editorial Team
Our content team
6 min read
On March 30, 2026, a Ryanair plane touched down at Saarbruecken airport for the very first time. The flight came from Trapani, Sicily. Arrived at 08:20, turned around at 08:45.
For a small regional airport near the French border, that landing was a big deal. And for Ryanair, it kicked off a very deliberate summer expansion across Germany.
Ryanair Saarbruecken and Friedrichshafen: All New Routes
Ryanair's summer 2026 schedule for Germany includes 14 brand-new routes from seven airports. Two of those airports are, well, new. Sort of.
Saarbruecken is a genuine first. Ryanair has never operated there before. Three routes, all to southern Europe. Friedrichshafen, on the other hand, is a comeback story. Ryanair flew from there to London Stansted between 2002 and 2010, then left. Now, after 16 years, they're back at Lake Constance.
Here's the full list:
| Airport | Destination | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Saarbruecken | Alicante | Spain |
| Saarbruecken | Lamezia Terme | Italy (Calabria) |
| Saarbruecken | Trapani | Italy (Sicily) |
| Friedrichshafen | Alicante | Spain |
| Friedrichshafen | Palma de Mallorca | Spain |
| Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden | Amman | Jordan |
| Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden | Bucharest | Romania |
| Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden | Rabat | Morocco |
| Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden | Tirana | Albania |
| Memmingen | Tirana | Albania |
| Memmingen | Bucharest | Romania |
| Nuremberg | Rabat | Morocco |
| Frankfurt Hahn | Rabat | Morocco |
| Cologne | Rimini | Italy |
The pattern is pretty clear. Sun destinations in southern Europe plus new connections to North Africa, Jordan, and the Balkans. Alicante appears twice on the list, Rabat three times across different airports. Ryanair is going where it expects demand.
Why Small Regional Airports?
Marcel Pouchain Meyer, Ryanair's head of communications for the DACH region, explained the thinking in the Saarbruecken launch announcement:
"By growing at regional airports with competitive costs like Saarbruecken, we can avoid the enormously high access costs at major German airports."
And the numbers back that up. According to Aviation Week, Frankfurt airport charges an average of 58 euros per passenger. London Heathrow? Just 41 euros. German hub airports are simply too expensive for budget carriers.
Saarbruecken is a different proposition. Around 311,000 passengers in 2025, a catchment area that stretches into France and Luxembourg, and reasonable fees. For a low-cost carrier looking to grow cheaply, that's attractive.
Context Matters: Cuts First, Then Selective Growth
Before you think Ryanair is expanding in Germany, consider this.
In October 2025, the airline cut 24 routes and removed 800,000 seats from its German winter schedule. Berlin lost 150,000 seats. Hamburg lost 70,000. Dortmund, Dresden, Leipzig, Erfurt: Ryanair pulled out entirely.
The 14 new routes bring back 300,000 seats. But total capacity for summer 2026 still sits 220,000 seats below last year's level. This isn't a boom. It's a redistribution. Away from expensive major airports, toward cheaper regional ones.
What triggered the partial return? Germany's decision to cut its aviation tax starting July 2026. Short-haul now 12.48 euros, medium-haul 31.61 euros, long-haul 56.91 euros. Not a dramatic reduction. But enough for Ryanair to cautiously come back.
Germany's air travel recovery has been slower than the rest of Europe, by the way. Only 88% of pre-COVID levels. Spain and Italy are well above where they were. That probably explains why Ryanair remains so careful about Germany.
For more background, check our coverage of the German air travel tax cut and the full list of cancelled Ryanair routes (Coming Soon).
Watch the Baggage Fees: What These Routes Really Cost
Now for the Kofferly angle. Introductory fares start at 14.99 euros from Saarbruecken and 34.99 euros from Friedrichshafen. Sounds great. But many passengers on these new routes will be flying Ryanair for the first time. And that's where the baggage trap waits.
The reality, per the current Ryanair baggage policy for 2026:
Free allowance: One small bag, 40x30x20 cm, has to fit under the seat in front of you. Fine for a day trip. Not so much for a week in Alicante.
Add-ons: Priority Boarding with a second cabin bag (55x40x20 cm, 10 kg) costs 6 to 36 euros. Checked bags run from 9.49 euros for 10 kg up to 59.99 euros for 20 kg depending on the route and timing.
Gate penalty: Show up with an oversized bag and you'll pay 70 to 75 euros on the spot. In 2026, Ryanair is enforcing this more strictly than ever, with sizer frames right at the boarding gate.
So that 14.99 euro ticket to Trapani? With a suitcase you're probably looking at 40 to 60 euros total. Still cheap for a flight to Sicily. But you should know that before you book.
If you want to prepare, have a look at our Ryanair hand luggage guide or the 7 best Ryanair luggage tricks.
